Lawrence glenn



L. GLENN. Air Brake.

No. 234,179. Patented Nov. 9, I880.

I WITNESSES:

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

LAWRENCE GLENN, OF OTTUMWA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO BENJAMIN COLE AND W. H. O. JAQUES, OF SAME PLACE.

AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,179, dated November 9, 1880.

Application filed October 8, 1878.

To all whom z't may concern Be it known that 1, LAWRENCE GLENN, of Ottumwa, in the county of Wapello and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Air-Brake, of which the following a specification.

My invention relates to the lever that is operated upon by the piston-rod of the air-mlinder; and its object is to simplify the construc- [1 tion of the parts generally employed, and to obtain greater power.

The invention will be understood as set forth in the following specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved device attached beneath a car, in connection with an air-cylinder. Fig. 2 is a plan view of said devices.

Similar letters of reference indicate c'orre- 2o sponding parts.

a represents the bottom of a car, to which is attached a hanger, b, in a convenient position for the operation of the brake mechanism. The hanger b is formed with a box, 0, through which passes a lever, d, which is held by a fulcrum pin orbolt, c. The pin 0 passes through the lever cl at the center of the length of the lever, so that the lever (1 projects an equal distance each side of hanger e in a direction.

transversely of the car.

f is the air-cylinder, of usual construction, having a piston -rod, g, and a piston (not shown) that is operated by means of a vacuum or compressed air, in any well-known man- 5 ner, through the medium ofpipes. (Notshown.)

The forked end i of the piston-rod g is connected to the lever cl by a pin, 70, that passes through a slot, 00, in the lever d, and may or may not carry a friction-roller, so that the lever and piston will move together and the piston retain its position parallel with the length of the cylinder.

It is evident that to secure even action and durability of a brake, and especially of the 4 5 air-cylinder, it is important and necessary that the action of all the parts be easy and normal. I secure this action in the piston of the aircylinder by providing a means of keeping said piston exactly straight with the line of the cylinder, eii'ected by providing the lever to which the piston-rod is attached with a slot, on, as above described. This insures an action of an exact even character, and is a simple device for attaining an end which is very essential to air-brakes, and which has not hitherto been reached.

1 is a rod or arm having a forked head, m, that is connected to lever 01 at the side of fulcrum e opposite to the piston-rod g. The arm I is attached by a pin, n, which permits it to swing freely, and its free end passes loosely through a hole in the stud 0 that is rigidly attached to the car bottom a.

his a spiral spring around the arm I and bearing against the stud 0 and head m.

At each end of lever 01 is a hole, 1", for the connection of the rods or chains of the brakes, and the connections to the brakeshoes may be made direct, if desired.

The brakes are applied by the action of the 7c air in the cylinderf forcing out the piston-rod g and piston, thereby operating the lever d. This action compresses spring h, so that when the pressure is taken off the spring h it will quickly relieve the brakes and return the lever d to its normal position.

The mechanism described dispenses with the trusses, guides, and other complicated parts generally used with air-brakes. The piston has great leverage in operating the brakes, and there is very little friction to be overcome.

I am aware that brakes constructed on the principle of mine have been used, but they lack the simplicity and efficacy of mine. I therefore do not claim, broadly, a pivoted lever and compensatingspring; but what I do claim is- The hereindescribed airbrake, consisting of the lever d, pivoted in the center in the 0 hanger b, and provided near one end with the slot 00, the rod l, with forked end m, pivoted near one end of said lever, the spring h, surrounding the rod l, guide 0, through which said rod passes, the air-cylinder f, piston and 5 piston-rod g, and forked head i, pivoted near the other end of the lever in the slot or, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

LAWRENCE GLENN.

Witnesses:

S. E. ADLER, L. D. GROOM. 

